Selling Rectory Farm, an award-winning family home set in 33 acres in Fundenhall, south Norfolk, was not something that owners Lucie and Johnny Hustler had anticipated.
Lovingly designed by them just five years ago, based on a farmyard that they had owned since the 1990s, it was the home that they thought they would see out their days in - but with three of their four children now living abroad, plans have changed.
"We cannot stand by and watch our grandchildren grow up on Skype," says Lucie. "So we are going to embark on a great adventure of our own and join them."
Lucie and Johnny intend to move to Johnny's birthplace, New Zealand, to spend time with their family - but first they need to sell Rectory Farm.
"We designed the house for ourselves with enough room for the children to stay," says Johnny. "It took three years of working with wonderful craftsmen and designers to create what is a contemporary, efficient and comfortable home, so we were very proud when in 2015, the local council awarded it a prestigious design award."
The property, which is on the market with Savills, priced at a guide of £1,450,000, is beautifully presented throughout and described by Louis de Soissons, at Savills, as the perfect equestrian property.
"It's in such a lovely spot," he says, "and the special thing is that it's so unusual to find 33 acres such a manageable distance from Norwich."
Great care has been taken to retain character throughout the property, with extensive use of oak throughout, along with limestone flooring, and a good range of modern living requirements, such as zoned underfloor heating, a Biomass heating system, electric Aga in the kitchen and stunning granite worktops.
The main living accommodation is arranged over two floors with light and airy rooms which include three ground-floor bedrooms with ensuite shower rooms. These are currently used as a successful bed and breakfast business, known as The Humbleyard, and can be partitioned off to create privacy or used as part of the main house.
The large entrance hall in the centre of the house is particularly striking, with an elegant staircase and beautiful vaulted ceiling. This then leads into a dining room, snug and the impressive open-plan kitchen/breakfast room, which has a central island unit, contemporary wood burner and tri-fold doors which open out on to a terrace perfect for outdoor dining.
A large sitting room can be found towards the rear of the property, past an internal hallway and the three downstairs bedrooms. This has a lovely vaulted ceiling and also benefits from direct access to the courtyard.
There is further living accommodation upstairs including the spectacular master suite which includes a dressing room and ensuite shower room along with fine views over the gardens, pastures and countryside beyond.
Another bedroom and large, open-plan study area, on the landing, can also be found on this floor.
The grounds surrounding Rectory Farm are also of note and, says Johnny. "The combination of a virtually new home with over 30 acres of established sheltered grass paddocks and superb outbuildings is something that is really quite unusual."
The gardens have been beautifully landscaped to offer many points of interest, including stunning hedged archways, sweeping expanses of lawn, and a pretty courtyard.
In addition, there are a good range of both modern and traditional outbuildings and established pasture land which stretches from the east to the west of the main house, divided into large paddocks with automatic water troughs and two fenced corrals.
For more information about this property, please contact Savills on 01603 229229.
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